Also tomorrow, there’s an “Evening in Italy” fundraiser for North Helpline from 5:30-9 p.m. at Lake City Community Center, 12531 28th Ave. N.E. There will be live music, a wine toss, raffles and a full spaghetti dinner for $10/adults, $5/children.

For the next two weekends, you’re invited to Northwest Puppet Center’s latest show: “Chickens and Pigs and Bears … Oh My!” at 9123 15th Ave. N.E.:

“Chickens and Pigs and Bears . . . Oh My!” is a celebration of some favorite stories presented in new and creative ways. Audiences will delight in the different styles of puppetry, live music, poetry and audience participation. Puppeteer Peter Allen performs “The Three Little Pigs” with marionettes, “The Little Red Hen” with shadow puppetry, and “The Three Bears” with rod-puppetry. A wonderful performance for audiences 3 years old and up.

Curtain is at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sundays through April 28. Tickets cost $10.50 general admission, $8.50 for children up to age 16, and $9 for senior 65 and older, and they’re available at Brown Paper Tickets.

One of the neighborhood’s biggest events is coming up on Wednesday, April 24: The quarterly Maple Leaf General Community Meeting from 7-9 p.m. at Olympic View Elementary, 504 N.E. 95th St. Topics will include transportation issues, how the new Northgate urban center will affect Maple Leaf, and tree regulations.

Next Thursday, April 25, you can learn more about area construction at the Northgate Way Improvement Project Open House from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Northgate Library, 10548 Fifth Ave. N.E. The Seattle Department of Transportation in planning roadway improvements along North 105th Street and Northgate Way, from Greenwood Avenue North to Lake City Way Northeast. Improvements will include complete roadway repaving, new sidewalks and curb ramps, and drainage improvements from Greenwood Avenue North to Corliss Avenue North. SDOT will also upgrade signals, and street lighting from Greenwood to Lake City Way. This is your chance get in comments before final design by the second quarter of 2013; construction is scheduled to begin this summer, and is anticipated to continue through summer 2014.

Also on April 25, “Roads and Runoff” is the topic of the monthly Thornton Creek Alliance meeting from 7:15-9 p.m. at Meadowbrook Community Center, 10517 35th Ave. N.E. Art Brochet will discuss the Seattle Department of Transportation’s repaving project on Northeast 125th Street, as well as Seattle Public Utilities’ plans for Mayor Mike McGinn’s new stormwater goals. The group also will be talking about the past year’s accomplishments and goals for next year. For more information call, Judy Olson at 206-523-4384.

Fun for the whole family is planned from 6-8 p.m. Friday, April 26, at the “Magical Mac and Cheese” event at Northgate Community Center:

Turn your macaroni and cheese into a magical evening of dinner and entertainment! We will have basic macaroni ‘n’ cheese and you add your favorite toppings. In addition, Xakary the Magician and his pet rabbit can mesmerize you with his magic. For ages 1 and older. Please register in advance at 206-386-4283. Cost is $5 per person or $20 for a family.

And of course, don’t forget about the 12th annual Olympic View Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 26-27. There will be vegetable and fruit starts, herbs, flowering annuals, premium perennials, pottery, garden art and more both days, as well as special children’s activities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, as well as treats from Peaks Frozen Custard from noon to 5 p.m.